A lot of the existing material in the workshop of Antonio Stradivari, at its closure, that was at the death of his son Francesco (1743), was sold by Paolo Stradivari to the count Ignazio Cozio di Salabue, who bought it because the violin maker G. B. Guadagnini could make violins similar to those of the master Stradivari.

This collection of forms, models, designs and tools, passed by inheritance to the turin marquis Dalla Valle del Pomoro, was again sold in 1920 to roman luthier Giuseppe Fiorini, who, to beat a competitor, had to borrow a large sum, but ten years later (1930) he donated the collection to the city of Cremona, with the obligation that it was publicly exposed.

My first thought exiting from the museum was that, unlike today where we buy expensive premium tools, made ​​with innovative materials and precision adjustment, once, our ancestors were able to build masterpieces with few poor tools.